Racket press and tennis ball carrier



March 1, 1960 R. J. GOULD 2,925,912

RACKET PRESS AND TENNIS BALL CARRIER Filed Oct. 26, 1955 INVENTOR, RICHARD J. GOULD ATTORNEYS United States Patent RACKET PRESS AND TENNIS BALL CARRIER Richard J. Gould, Vassar, Mich.

Application October 26, 1955, Serial No. 542,951 3 Claims. (Cl. 273-74) This invention relates to tennis ball carriers or holders of a type which can be conveniently mounted on a tennis racket press.

As is well'known, tennis balls are commonly purchased in vacuum sealed, cylindrical, metal cans holding three balls each. When the .balls are to be used the can is opened with a key which removes an annular strip of the container metal and leaves a relatively sharp edge at one end of the can. Once the strip is removed the end of the can may be used as a cover however it is dislodged so easily that many players simply use the open ended can as the carrying receptacle for the balls once the can has been opened and until the balls are worn and are disposed of. In order to retain the balls in the can the open edge thereof is generally pressed inwardly at one side to restrict the opening at the mouth of the can.

A can used in the manner indicated is disadvantageous in a number of respects. Inasmuch as it is separate from the racket and press it must be carried separately and will quite easily be misplaced or forgotten. Further, the balls frequently will drop out of the can at inopportune moments and there is always the danger of the player being cut by the sharp open edge of the can or the racket being damaged thereby.

One of the prime objects of the instant invention is to provide a carrier of very simple and inexpensive construction which obviates the necessity of a player retaining the can as a container and permits him to avoid the disadvantages mentioned.

A further object of the invention is to provide a carrier which can be simply mounted on a racket press with out in any way impairing the normal function of the press to provide a storage location for balls which will be then conveniently integrated with the racket and press when the same are not in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carrier of the character described which has a dual function since it also protects the racket and press from rain and inadvertent blows or the like.

A further object of the invention is to design a device of the type described which carries the tennis balls individually so that, when it is desired to play or practice with more or less than three balls or to use only one or two of a particular player's balls, the balls to be used can be individually removed without the remaining ball or balls dropping out.

Another object of the invention is to provide a very practical carrier which can be readily applied to existing presses.

A further object of the invention is to provide a carrier which securely and reliably holds the tennis balls in a manner to partially expose them so that a player is at all times aware of the condition of his balls.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carrier of negligible weight and attractive appearance which is exceptionally convenient in that the balls may be so easily removed and replaced without separating the carrier from the press.

"ice

A still further object of the inventionis to provide acarrier which can be very economically manufactured invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that equiva lent changes may be made in the various elements which comprise the invention without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

Briefly the invention comprises a moistureurepellan cover for one side of a press which is provided with individual, integral pockets thereon shaped to receive the balls and securely retain the same. i

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a tennis racket and press with my carrier applied thereto, the handle of the racket being broken away to simplify the drawing.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view showing tennis balls in the pockets on the carrier.-

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view showing a pocket spread out as it is prior to the time the, elastic cord is inserted to unite the various leaves thereof.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing in which I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention a letter R generally indicates a tennis racket which is shown mounted in a conventional press such as shown in Patent No. 2,429,342 to Brown et al. The press P has an upper frame 10 and a lower frame 11 secured by wing nuts 12 on threaded posts 13 in the usual manner and will not be described in detail.

My carrier, which I shall generally designate by the letter C, comprises a water-repellant canvas or duck cover 14 symmetrically shaped to the press P and provided with metal eyelet grommets 15 which are positioned in its corners to receive the posts 13 of the press. Preferably in fabricating the cover 14 separate corner pieces are stitched to the fabric or canvas cover proper as at 16 to reinforce the portions in which the post openings are provided and a binding 17 may be sewed around the edge of the cover.

Mounted on the cover 14 are a trio of ball accommodating pockets A which will now be described in detail. Each pocket A is formed from a cruciform shaped piece of canvas or duck material such as shown in Fig. 3 which has an annular reinforcing disc 18 of the same material centrally provided thereon, stitching 19 securing the discs to the pockets and the pockets to the cover 14. The extending ends or leaves 20 of the pockets A, which form the side walls thereof, are looped over as at 21 and stitched as at 22 to provide permanent loops through which lengths of elastic 23 may be inserted.

In fabricating the carrier C the radially extending ends or leaves 20 of each pocket are drawn upwardly or out wardly as illustrated in Fig. 2 when an elastic cord 23 of predetermined length is inserted through the loops 21 and the ends thereof are secured. The free ends of the cords are preferably secured or joined by clips 24 or may be clipped or otherwise securely connected in any acceptable manner. Since the discs 18 are of substantially the diameter of a ball the discs and stitching 19 correctly limit the extent to which the ends 20 can be drawn outwardly. Further, of course, the discs 18 function as a protective or wear surface for the cover 14.

Plainly the diameter of the elastic cords 23 in Figs. 1 and 2 will be somewhat less than the maximum diameter of a tennis ball B so that the balls will be securely retained in the pockets once the cords 23 have been stretched to insert them.

anaem a In use the carrier clearly protects the racket which is carried ball side up. To remove the balls B from the pockets the player need merely place his fingers on top of the ball and then move his finger tips gently downwardly around the ball so that the cord 23 tend'sto slip away and the ball is left free in the palm of the hand. Alternatively he could merely insert his fingers into the spaces "a between the leaves 20 of the pockets and press the balls upwardly to elongate the cords 23 and pop the balls out. It is equally easy to replace a ball in a pocket with one hand by palming the ball and spreading the cord 23 with the separated depending fingers of the hand while dropping the palmed ball into place.

It should be obvious that I have perfected a very simple and practical carrier which will be Widely used by tennis players.

--;It is to be understood that the drawings and descriptive matter are in all cases to be interpreted as merely ill'ustrative of the principles of the invention rather than as limiting the same in any way since it is contemplated that various changes may be made in the various elements to achieve like results without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A racket press having projecting posts to secure its separate frames; including a tennis ball carrier comprising; a fabric cover shaped to the frames of said press and having openings at its outer edge to receive the posts; and at least one fabric pocket on said cover comprising a ball-enveloping enclosure radially inwardly of the openings projecting from said cover and ioined there 4. to; said enclosure having an open end bounded by an expansible portion of elastic material of smaller diameter at its said open end than a ball to be accommodated in the enclosure and the intermediate portion of the pocket which accommodates the ball.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 in which three pockets are provided on said cover and comprise fabric pieces centrally sewed to said cover and having radially extending ends, spaced circumferentially to envelop a ball, drawn outwardly to form side walls of the pockets.

3. The combination defined in claim 2 in which said cxpansible portion is provided for each pocket and comprises an annular, elastic cord connecting the said radially extending ends forming the side walls of the pockets.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

